Afghanistan

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have served on tours of duty of longer than six months in Afghanistan; and what the (a) tour dates, (b) rank, (c) regiment and (d) reasons for the length of tour was.

Andrew Murrison: holding answer 19 November 2012
	The Ministry of Defence does not hold this information centrally in the form requested, and in the interests of anonymity we do not release information of individual tours.
	The MOD is able to confirm that at present around 110 posts out of 9,500 in Afghanistan are subject to tour lengths of longer than six months to provide continuity to the campaign. These posts are broken down as shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Army ranks (or equivalent) represented Length of continuity posting (months) Number of personnel (to the nearest 10) 
			 Staff Sergeant 8 10 
			 Warrant Officer Class 2   
			 Warrant Officer Class 1   
			 Captain   
			 Major   
			 Lieutenant Colonel   
			    
			 Captain 9 20 
			 Major   
			 Lieutenant Colonel   
			    
			 Staff Sergeant Major 12 50 
			 Lieutenant Colonel   
			 Colonel   
			 Brigadier   
			 Major General   
			 Lieutenant General   
			    
			 Major 18 <10 
			    
			 Private 24 20 
			 Lance Corporal   
			 Corporal   
			 Sergeant   
		
	
	
		
			 Major   
			 Lieutenant Colonel   
			 Colonel   
			 Major General

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many and what proportion of days, on average, staff of his Department at each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last five years.

Mark Francois: The information requested is shown in the following table. Grade equivalent rates, used in Cabinet Office absence reporting, include non-industrial, industrial and trading fund personnel, but exclude Royal Fleet Auxiliary and locally engaged civilians for whom sickness absence data is not readily available.
	
		
			 Grade (equivalent)  1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 
			 AA Total number of days worked(1) 2,549,450 2,279,750 2,187,280 2,093,030 1,786,700 
			  Total number of days lost 138,840 116,840 115,620 103,780 92,850 
			  Proportion of days lost (percentage) 5.45 5.12 5.29 4.96 5.20 
			        
			 AO Total number of days worked(1) 6,213,020 5,911,770 5,821,540 5,581,000 5,111,180 
			  Total number of days lost 277,480 255,700 253,890 232,630 217,850 
			  Proportion of days lost (percentage) 4.47 4.33 4.36 4.17 4.26 
			        
			 EO Total number of days worked(1) 3,040,950 3,050,110 2,882,890 2,690,590 2,596,500 
			  Total number of days lost 105,560 104,290 101,120 91,620 88,970 
			  Proportion of days lost (percentage) 3.47 3.42 3.51 3.41 3.43 
			        
			 HEO Total number of days worked(1) 2,503,210 2,607,200 2,584,840 2,541,890 2,489,830 
			  Total number of days lost 64,950 64,240 64,730 68,970 65,740 
			  Proportion of days lost (percentage) 2.59 2.46 2.50 2.71 2.64 
			        
			 SEO Total number of days worked(1) 1,513,640 1,705,880 1,643,840 1,576,440 1,554,890 
			  Total number of days lost 31,700 35,890 36,350 32,070 33,640 
			  Proportion of days lost (percentage) 2.09 2.10 2.21 2.03 2.16 
			        
			 G7 Total number of days worked(1) 471,680 670,360 654,870 626,390 607,160 
			  Total number of days lost 7,240 9,810 10,670 10,490 9,920 
			  Proportion of Days Lost 1.54 1.46 1.63 1.67 1.63 
			        
			 G6 Total number of days worked(1) 162,500 189,110 182,640 173,560 173,260 
			  Total number of days lost 1,930 2,070 2,560 1,970 2,170 
		
	
	
		
			  Proportion of days lost (percentage) 1.19 1.09 1.40 1.14 1.25 
			        
			 SCS Total number of days worked(1) 67,520 71,900 71,660 68,270 63,070 
			  Total number of days lost 670 660 580 610 400 
			  Proportion of days lost (percentage) 0.99 0.92 0.81 0.90 0.64 
			 (1) Data presented reflects the current Cabinet Office definition, setting a maximum absence of 225 days per person, and excludes data for weekends, annual leave and bank holidays. Excludes personnel on zero pay. Source: DASA (Civilian)